Boardwalk Rock 2025: Nickelback Delivers a Set for the Ages

by Dave Parsons

Boardwalk Rock 2025 had been a two-day adventure of rock, pop, and emotion. But as the Atlantic sun lowered on Sunday afternoon, most of the 50,000 festival-goers made their way to the mammoth stage on the south end of the area, waiting for the finale….Nickelback.

Formed in Hanna, Alberta, in 1995 by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, and Ryan Peake, Nickelback logged over 50 million album sales, earned six Grammy nominations, and mastered the art of radio-rock craft. They have walked the highwire between sincerity and satire with a grin and have record sales receipts to prove it.

Closing a festival packed full of bands that rival your success, with an audience that isn’t there to specifically see you, necessarily, is a daunting task.  The lights dimmed, and the sounds of Journey (Don’t Stop Believing) and Queen (We Will Rock You) got the crowd riled up and pumped, which was no surprise.  Seeing Nickelback start with a Johnny Cash cover, specifically San Quentin, was an auspicious start for anyone who didn’t peek online at their recent setlists beforehand.

Savin’ Me and Far Away were a nice mix that had the audience singing and dancing.  After two days of hot, sweaty rock and roll, it was nice to see some couples swaying with the latter song, and mouthing the words in unison…..  I still love you…

Dance time over, Animals and Someday were played with intensity.  A cover of Don Henley’s Dirty Laundry set aloft the wish lists for next year’s festival. Zach Myers of Shinedown joined the band for Figured You Out.  He fit in well with them, and the T-shirts flying out by cannons made the moment that much more memorable.

Further down the setlist, classics like Photograph and Rockstar brought out the cell phones in full force to record the moment. Hopefully, folks remember to look at them from time to time, and they don’t end up either buried in YouTube purgatory or deleted to make room on their phone in a year.  They were recording nostalgia in real time, and 25 years from now, that digital mayhem will be worth gold to them.

For those already experiencing nostalgia moments, These Days had the jumbo screens show vintage photos. From boomboxes, tape decks, and denim jackets, it was a tribute to the generations that helped build and mold the band. The ones whose mixtapes had Nickelback on every label.

And then came the song. How You Remind Me… The opening riff rang out like a church bell.  Every single person of those left out of the 50,000 knew every word of this anthem. It was going to be the festival’s final sing-along, and the faithful gave it everything they had left. No cynicism, no angst, just beautiful voices lifting up the words like they were gospel….This is how you remind me… of what I really am…

A heartfelt Gotta Be Somebody led the encores, followed by Burn It to the Ground which the band took as a dare. Giving every last ounce of energy they had left, the chorus exclaimed:
Let’s get this party started!…. as if it hadn’t already been raging for two glorious days, and anticipation for Boardwalk Rock 2026.

1. San Quentin
2. Savin’ Me
3. Far Away
4. Animals
5. Someday
6. Dirty Laundry
7. Figured You Out (with Zach Myers)
8. This Afternoon
9. Photograph
10. Rockstar
11. When We Stand Together
12. Those Days
13. How You Remind Me
    Encore:
14. Gotta Be Somebody
15. Burn It to the Ground